Dr Samira Soro, 10/10, won't let them schedule me with anyone else! She is the best optometrist I have ever had!

I regret having to post such a negative review, but this is necessary. Let's get straight to the point: As a potential new patient, I relied on Sage, the front desk team member, to verify my insurance coverage. However, he failed to inform me that I was out of network. My appointment was scheduled for Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 3:00 PM, in case validation is needed. Rewind: Three weeks before my appointment, I walked in to check out the establishment inside busy Costco in Redwood City. I asked Sage to confirm whether my insurance would cover the visit. I handed him my Anthem BlueCross BlueShield insurance card so he could check the system. Sage assured me that I was covered. Sitting next to him behind the counter, Dr. Soro kindly smiled at me, which was reassuring. Based on this, I booked my first appointment, excited for the prospect of clearer vision. Fast Forward: I arrived 20 minutes early, anticipating a wait, given that I was a new patient. Sage greeted me with a welcoming smile, and another team member handed me paperwork to fill out. After completing the new patient form, I handed it back to Sage. Wanting to be absolutely sure, I asked him again: "Please check my insurance once more before we proceed." This time, he told me I was out of network. I was shocked. While my insurance would cover some costs, I was still considered out of network. How could this critical detail have been overlooked from the very beginning? Confirming insurance coverage is a basic and fundamental step in new patient intake. Imagine if I hadn't asked for verification again--I might have unknowingly gone through with the procedure, only to be charged the out-of-network rate without ever being informed. Future New Patients: Beware. Double-check whether you're out of network before proceeding. I canceled my appointment on the spot, and sadly walked away. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Chi Lu for several years now, and she remains one of the best decisions I've made for my eye care. She is incredibly kind, patient, and makes sure you understand every step of what's going on. Her office is professional, clean, and efficient -- I rarely wait long before being seen. Dr. Lu also has a gentle touch, which I appreciate for procedures and routine exams alike. The staff are warm and helpful, the scheduling is easy, and follow-up is clearly explained. If you want an optometrist who truly listens, is thorough, and genuinely cares about your vision, Dr. Chi Lu is outstanding -- I can't recommend her enough. read more

Dr. Samira Soro an excellent optometrist she really explains everything well and takes the time to make sure you really understand. Very pleasant doctor. Scheduling and office staff are also very professional. read more

Dr Sora did a great with my eye exam and helping me with an eye infection needing antibiotic drops. .

I had an updated eye exam today and was examined by Samira Soro for the first time. She was wonderful to work with and her suggestions really helped me. She really took her time explaining contact lenses and how to put them on and remove them. Definitely very happy with her care. read more

See all

Wonderful experience. The employees were knowledgeable and friendly. Dr. Samira Soro was incredibly nice and knew just what I needed as far as a prescription. I would highly recommend this practice! read more

Dr. Luu is very patient and accommodating. She's thorough and has years of experience. I have been going to her for about 10 years.

Dr Samira Soro is an amazing optometrist. She was extremely helpful during the consultation. Samira Soro answered all my questions, was very friendly and, most important, LISTENED to me. I can truly assure you that Samira truly cares about your daily comfort. I highly recommend Dr Samira and will definitely come back in a year to renew my prescription. Thank you! read more

we are so grateful to Luu Optometry Inc, located inside Redwood Costco. We cannot thank you enough to Dr Luu and her team are always putting the patients first with care, kindness, gentleness, outstanding services. There are so easy to make appointments, my family got the best care, Dr Luu're very patience checked and explained clearly our eyes condition, suggesting what do we need to make vision better. We are highly recommended to all our friends and families to Dr Luu, and Luu Optometry Inc. read more

Very easy to book an appointment, and Dr. Samira Soro was very friendly, informative and efficient. The office has no frills since it's in a part of Costco but it didn't bother me since I value convenience over fanciness. Plus, I requested an e-copy of the RX over the phone, and it arrived in 30 sec. read more

Had a fantastic experience here - the staff was super friendly and the doctor (I think Dr. Mai?) was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and gave me a super thorough overview of all of my options when purchasing contacts. They have an advanced machine that doesn't require you to have your pupils dilated. My only complaint is that they are not with VSP. read more

Had a quick and painless eye exam here inside Costco. For the routine comprehensive eye exam ($85, including the optional $30 retina photos) + contact lens evaluation ($40), I paid a total of $125 which came with a set of AirOptix HydraGlide contacts. The staff here are efficient and professional, making sure all the equipment is sanitized. Dr. Chi Luu is friendly and kind as well. After a really short (but thorough) prescription test, she went over the in-depth x-ray photos of my eyes and reassured me my eyes were healthy. I was in and out in roughly 20-25 minutes with an updated combo of eyeglasses + contact lens prescriptions. (Keep in mind that you don't need a Costco membership for the exam, but you do need one to purchase additional contact lenses or glasses at the optical center. Also, the contact lens prescription expires in 1 year, but the eyeglasses prescription lasts for 2 years.) read more

Not recommended for contact fitting. I came back for my second fit, and was told I had to pay for the whole fitting again if this second pair doesn't work out. There're so many types and brands of contacts out there, and a lot of people will NOT figure out what fit them the best after only 2 pairs. (For me, essentially I only tried 1 new pair because the first one I was given was already my old uncomfortable type). Most optometrist offices work with patients and at least give them a few to try on to find out what they like the best before finalizing. I would think this is normal if I hadn't previously seen another optometrist in NY before I had to move. WHAT a stark contrast between the two. The thing is, if I was initially informed about the trials/ time limit for their fitting, I would gladly look somewhere else. But I was reassured I can come back until we find the right fit, just like anyone would expect. I know Costco likes to keep the prices down, but what's the point if people can't find their right contacts at the end??? I'm not going pay the whole fitting again and again for EACH new pair, that just totally defeats the purpose of fitting itself. Tldr, If you need to figure out what contacts fit you ESPECIALLY if you're fairly new to contacts, look for other optometrist offices that will actually work with patients to find your right fit. Sadly have to go somewhere else and restart the whole thing again. So frustrating. read more

Dr. Luu is hands down the best OD I've seen in recent years. I found her a few years ago when I didn't have insurance and immediately fell in love with her bed side manner and sweet smile. This year I was able to get vision insurance and decided to see an in network provider. What a MISTAKE! I quickly came back to her right away. I have to say that she has gone out of her way for me in multiple occasions and I really appreciate that. I had a ballon pop in my eye at work ( long story) and she was able to squeeze me in at the end of the day since it was an emergency. Luckily it wasn't anything serious. Doc, thanks for getting my prescription to me by email when I forgot my contacts at home! I was able to get my prescription filled in a little shop in Paris :) Thanks a million! I was able to enjoy the sights in Europe!! read more

Doctor is very rude. And from the very start insisted on a comprehensive eye exam that costed much more. When I refused she become really annoyed. On top of that, she gave a wrong eye prescription (much higher than actual) that I came to know a few months later. Legal action should be taken against such practitioners read more

I received a very thorough exam from Dr. Luu, and I have zero complaints about her service and knowledge. Some information that I received from a receptionist regarding insurance coverage wasn't accurate, but Dr. Luu called me personally and we were able to sort everything out. read more

Doctor is really kind and always does such a thorough job with my check ups. The prices are unbeatable. Perhaps what is most important about their services right now is how committed Dr. Luu and her staff are to keeping everyone safe during this COVID-19 pandemic. read more

Argumentative. Impatient. Wrong Prescription. Unwilling to listen. Dr. Luu was impatient and on the edge. I asked for two brands of contacts to try on, but she refused to do so. She told me to try one and make the trip back to sample another. She never discussed any findings on my retinal scan, eye pressure, or vision. I've had astigmatism for a while, and the prescription she gave me had no astigmatism. I got a second opinion from another optometrist and he verified astigmatism (consistent with my history). I shared my experience with the staff and they processed a refund. read more

I use to pride myself in having 20/20 vision. I got older and the internet slowly controlled my life. I became addicted to it and all it did for me in return was give me bad vision. It took me months to finally get myself to get to an optometrist. I was too prideful to go to one because I thought glasses were uber dorky. It wasn't until I had to sit in the front row of all my classes, and was still unable to read anything that was on the board, for me to finally get my butt to an optometrist. This was after I no longer had vision insurance with my parents. So I did some research and found out that I didn't even need insurance to get a reasonably priced eye exam at the Costco Optometry Office! I was a poor college student back then so this was a great discovery for me! I highly recommend you call in for an appointment, especially on the weekends, since they can get pretty busy on Saturdays. I came into the office and noticed it was newly remodeled! The staff was veryyy attentive and helped my right when I got there. I wasn't too interested in getting glasses and told them I just wanted to get contacts during that visit. Turns out they have a HUGE selection of different brands and most importantly, to me, they had COLORED CONTACTS! Woot! I had very limited knowledge of contacts and mentioned to them that I knew a lot of people that wore Acuvue 2. They were kind enough to give me some trials to test out to compare their Acuvue 2 and their new and improved version, Acuvue Oasys. They also gave me a pair of grey contacts and hazel contacts to decide which color I liked better on myself. This was awesome because I was going to pay for these contacts out of my own pocket and I wanted to make sure I was confident in my selection. I was glad they gave me trials, since I probably would have just gotten Acuvue 2, since I didn't know anything other than that brand. Their Acuvue Oasys is definitely a must! They are so comfortable and I can wear them from morning to night (yes, I know I'm not suppose to) with no irritation. They, also, were realllyyy patient with my inability to put contacts on. It took me a while but thanks to their help and kindness to hold in their laughter as I probed my eyes over and over, I finally got them in before my eyes could be completely blood shot red. All in all, I had an amazing experience here and I am no longer ashamed of my bad vision thanks to Dr. Luu and her staff! =) read more

Find a more responsive optometrist. I requested a new prescription. Decided to order new contact lenses. It's been 3 1/2 weeks since my visit, exam, and order. NO update about status. No call or email. Dr. Luu ripped me off for 2 prescriptions. Slow on the service on the phone. Just waited 6+ minutes on hold. Now admin tells me my order was not placed! Difficult to communicate with Luu. Luu is "not here today" when I visit Costco. Never again!! read more

I was due for am eye exam and new frames, (mine were literally falling apart.) This was my first visit to this Dr., she is located in Costco, but it's an independent office, and the staff aren't Costco employees. They operate completely separately from Costco. I found Dr. Luu to be friendly, pleasant, and highly knowledgeable. My appts. were started on time, and didn't take as long as similar appts. elsewhere. She was very current on all the new kinds of contatcts and what could possibly work for my VERY dry eyes. I would highly recommend her, and I'll definitely be back. Prices are VERY reasonable as well. read more

It was an unpleasant experience. My wife and I visited Dr. Luu for a contact lens prescription and I feel she was impatient and disrespectful to us. When we first came in, the receptionist told us there were two exam options that we can choose from: comprehensive and basic exams. I asked what were the differences between the two and how did they recommend which one to patients. While the receptionist was explaining about it, Dr. Luu came out from the inner room and said with a strong tone that "We ALWAYS recommend the comprehensive one unless ... ". I feel I should stop asking any questions and just choose the comprehensive one. When my wife told her that she didn't brought the old prescription, Dr Luu seemed unhappy and complained that she should do it for a doctor visit. The vision exam is very fast and only takes about 2~3 minutes. Then Dr. Luu recommended only one option of Kirkland daily disposable contact lens and didn't give my wife any other options to choose from. Dr. Luu didn't ask if my wife feel comfortable about the brand or give a chance for my wife to ask questions before quickly generating the exam report. This was a very different experience from what we had before. In our previous experience in another Costco store, we were provided with several options to choose a comfortable one among them. My wife then asked if she could get a prescription for the same brand she has been using for a few years. Dr. Luu insisted that the one she recommended was the best one without asking what my wife felt. Dr. Luu also disrespectfully ignored my wife's questions about what the vision degree number means even she asked the same question three times. Overall we had a bad experience today and I don't recommend Dr. Luu. read more

Talk about crystal clear vision and service. They were really friendly and professional. She was really knowledgeable and made sure I had all my questions answered before I left. She was patient and really took the time to make sure I was getting exactly the prescription I needed. I was very happy to have such a great service especially inside a COSTCO. I will definitely come back and recommend her to everyone. read more

We had a good experience at the Costco optometrist. The staff did all the tests quickly and efficiently for my mother and then we saw Dr.Samira. She was very patient and cheerful with my mother. Overall a great experience! read more

They took me in on short notice. The staff is friendly and Dr. Luu was great. She surpassed my expectations by granting me crisp vision with a completely different contact lens. She made me feel like she understood my specific needs and made recommendations based on my lifestyle and vision needs. I wasn't expecting to be this pleased! Costco comes through once again. read more

Fast and friendly service. Dr Luu was patient and answered all of my questions. Also, Costco Optical has fast service and good prices. read more

I always had a problem with being fitted for contacts, since I have high astigmatism. They never fit right, blurry, or just uncomfortable. Since I was shopping in Redwood City, I stopped by to get a quick eye exam. Walked in on a Saturday, receptionist was nice and welcoming. Saw Dr. Pham (don't be fooled, she is not 16 years old) for half an hour, and now I can see, my contacts finally fit comfortably, and she gave me a free sample kit of contact solutions. Good customer service, professional, and now I can see! Thank you Dr. Pham! read more

Dr. Luu is great! Only optometrist who has gotten my prescription correct. She's super sweet and patient and I highly recommend her.

I've gone to Dr. Chi Luu for several years and always found her patient, knowledgable, and kind. She works with you until she finds the right prescription and contact fit for you. I really appreciate the services she provides. The office staff is friendly too! read more

Bad experience - wrong prescription. The doctor is unreachable most of the time, by phone or walking in. When I had to re-do the prescription the receptionists gave me a rude runaround telling to come back the next day. The doctor seems like a professional but lack of knowledge about medical history and not being able listen to patient's concerns (glasses for reading and computer are not the same as for driving) makes this a place somewhere I will not come back. read more

While the glasses exam was alright, I can't recommend the contact fitting. They had no record of a monthly trial contact that they gave me, so they can't even tell me what prescription I'm wearing even though I got it from them. I wanted to make sure a prescription was comfortable, but instead of having me try contacts with varying prescriptions they doctor just sent me off to purchase my own - why am I paying for contact fitting if I have to do my own trial-and-error? read more

Gave it a 5 star because it is in Costco and I love Costco! I can eat samples and shop while my aunt or mom gets their eyes checked. Score! I took my aunt to Dr. Luu's office in Costco for her annual eye exam the other day. Usually we see Dr. Luu but since it was a Saturday her associate Dr. Pham was working. Dr. Pham did a great job with my aunt. She took her time to make sure my aunt was able to see clearly and comfortably. Then dilated my aunt to make sure she didn't have any eye diseases like cataracts or glaucoma. My aunt even commented on how gentle she was while putting in drops and touching her eye lids. We had another positive experience at this office and would recommend Dr Luu or Dr Pham to all of our family members. Thank goodness Dr. Pham speaks Vietnamese because my aunt doesn't understand english much. read more

Before seeing Dr. Pham, I had never gone in for an eye exam (I know.), but had an eye irritation that wouldn't go away. I reached out to Dr. Pham about coming in for an emergency visit. She gladly squeezed me into her schedule last minute. I expressed that I was a bit nervous as this would be my first exam. She was very gentle, personable and I quickly felt comfortable in her care. She was very informative and even went the extra mile of sending me additional information after my visit. I'm happy to say that my eye is back to normal! read more

Really good experience - Dr Karen Cheng was very patient, very good at listening to my concerns and questions and her accuracy and proficiency in her profession is impressive. read more

Dr. Luu is excellent. She doesn't make you feel like you're at a "Doctor's" office. She is friendly, non-threatening and supportive in her consultation with me. My prescription is accurate, and now I am waiting for my contact lens appointment. read more

Dr. Luu has an uncommon talent for determining contact lens prescriptions--THE RIGHT WAY THE FIRST TIME!! Admittedly, my eyes give some of the best a good run for their money--lazy eye, astigmatism, severely near-sighted....and now far-sighted! In the last 35 years I've been to many eye docs for my contacts--and every single time without fail I have to go back minimum three to get a different prescription because the doc doesn't quite calculate it right. But that was before Dr. Luu!! She's got a knack for measuring, calculating and determining just how my lenses need to be custom manufactured for me to see as good as it gets--the very first time! I'm grateful to have her so close by and in Costco. read more

Just had my full checkup here with Dr. Luu. Nice surprise to find a great optometrist and full service optometry practice right here in Costco! Dr. Luu has evidently been here for many years so my only regret is that I didn't come here sooner. read more

Dr. Luu is good at what she does. My first pair of glasses was about 10 years ago so it was time for a new prescription. I had an okay experience with my visit, I was shuffled in and out very quickly so I wasn't too optimistic about the results. Once my new glasses arrived, something felt off but she continued to help me correct my lenses 3 times. The third time I got my glasses back I was getting horrible headaches so I went back again and she did a complete dilation and relaxation of my eyes. She then re tested my eyes and came up with nearly the same prescription as my first exam. We ordered my lenses yet again and when the glasses came in it took a couple of days for my eyes to relax and get used to my new crystal clear vision. I'd been living with blurry vision for so long that it felt weird to see clear again, that's what felt off to me at first. She explained that it would take time for my eyes to adjust and she was right. I'm very happy with my new glasses and my experience with Dr. Luu and I will go back to her in the future. read more

This was my first visit to Dr. Luu. She was very professional, personable and attentive to my particular presbyopic needs. I would highly recommend her for your annual refractive eye exams. read more